Carbonator.



Patented .luly 29,1902. 6. A. FLESCHE, H. A.HALL &. J. DUHERTY.

GARBONATOR.

(Application filed Mar. 7 1991.)

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WWW/WW (No Model.)

Witnesses:

THE NORms PETERS co, Pnofuu'rno. wasmnsmn. n. c.

25 uniformity.

UITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV A. FLESCHE, OF BROOKLYN, AND HENRY A. HALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND JOHN DOHERTY, OF ASHBROOK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE AMERICAN SODA FOUNTAIN COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHU- SETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CARBONATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,661, dated July 29, 1902.

Application filed March '7, 1901.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, GUSTAV A. FLEsoHE, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, county of Kings, and HENRY A.

5 HALL, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, county of New York, State of New York, both citizens of the United States, and JOHN DOHERTY, asubject of the Queen of Great Britain,residing at Ashbrook,

K in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Carbonators, of which the following is a description. A

Our invention relates to improvements in I carbonators adapted for the automatic charging of a suitable liquid with a suitable gas having an affinity therefor, but preferably for the charging of soda and mineral waters with carbonic-acid gas.

The object of the invention is to provide a carbonator for the automatic charging of a liquid from a source of high gas-pressure-as, for instance, from a generator or liquid-gas tube-and to efiect the charging with great In Letters Patent No. 662,407, dated November 27, 1900, we described certain improvements in carbonators adapted especially for the charging of a liquid with a gas from 0 a gasometer. With that device a counterbalanced mixing-chamber was employed, receiving from a pump the correct proportions of liquid and gas and the charging or mixing being effected in a suitable way by a spray or a mechanical agitator, or both, within the mixing chamber. With that device uniformity of pressure within the mixing-chamber was maintained by means of a reliefvalve the overflow from which connected 0 with the gasometer. With that device an overflow-pipe extends from the mixing-chamber to the liquid-supply box, being provided with an automatic regulating-valve therein, whereby when an excess of liquid accumulates in the mixing-chamber the latter will become overbalanced, descending slightly, opening the regulating-valve, allowing for an overflow of liquid to pass into the liquid-sup- Serial No. 50,208. (No model.)

ply box, thereby restablishing the balance and allowing the mixing-chamber to again ascend to close the regulating-valve. vision is made with said device to convey any gas which ebulliates from the liquid in the liquid-supply box to the gasometer. When the charging of gas into the mixing-chamber is effected from a source of high pressure, such as a generator or liquid-gas tube, it becomes impracticable to employ a relief-valve connected with the mixing-chamber to secure a uniformity of pressure therein, since the overflow-gas will be wasted. Similarly it would be inexpedient and uneconomical to effect the balancing of the mixing-chamber by allowing an overflow of liquid therefrom into the liquid-supply box, since the gas arising therefrom would ebulliateoif and likewise become a source of waste. In order, therefore,that the carbonator may be adapted for use in connection with sources of highpressure gas supply, such as generators or liquid-gas tubes, we appropriately modify the apparatus described in said patent, retaining all of its advantageous features, efiecting almost as much economy in operation, and obtaining practically as good results in the quality of the output.

In carrying out ourpresent invention,therefore, we employ a mixing-chamber, preferably of the general type described by us in said patent, said chamber being cylindrical in shape with a tapered bottom. If desired, a mechanical agitator may be mounted in the mixing-chamber, as We described in said patent, although for purposes of simplification a mechanical agitatorwill not be described in the present case. A pump is operated from a main driving-shaft having a fast and a loose pulley, said pump forcing liquid from a liquid-supply box or other source through a spray device located at the top ofthe mixing-chamber. Entering the lower end of the mixing-chamber is the gas from the source of high-pressure gas-supply, such as a generator or liquid-gas tube, the said gas-pipe being provided with a reducing-valve therein, whereby its pressure will be reduced to the Prodesired point. In this Way the pressure within the mixing-chamber will be maintained uniform, and if the quantity of liquid therein is maintained practically constant practically absolute uniformity in the output will be secured. We provide for the cutting off of the liquid-supply to the mixing-chamber when the quantity of charged liquid therein is in excess of the desired amount.

In the present construction a belt-shipper is used for shifting the driving-belt from the fast to the loose pulley, the belt-shipper being counterbalanced to maintain the drivingbelt normally on the fast pulley. Connected with the belt-shipper is the piston of a cylinder the inlet-pipe to which leads from the pump. In this pipe is placed a regulatingvalve no'rmally maintaining the controllingcylinder in engagement with an exhaust leading to any suitable point-as, for instance, to theliquid-supplybox. Theregulating-valve is adapted to cut off the supply of liquid from the pump into the mixing-chamber, and a pipe connects the controlling-cylinder between the pump and the regulating-valve.

In order to prevent the liquid from the pump.

from actuating the controlling-cylinder when the regulating-valve is open, we employ a relief-valve in the pipe to the controlling-cyl inder, which relief-valve is connected, preferably, with the gas space within the mixing chamber, so that it will always remain normally closed with a slight overbalance, notwithstanding the changes in pressure within the mixing chamber. When the mixingchamber becomes overbalanced and descends, the regulating-valve will be closed, cutting off the liquid-supply to the mixing-chamber and connecting the pump directly with the controlling-cylinder through the relief-valve. This results in immediate rise in pressure, overbalancing the relief-valve and allowing liquid to be forced directly from the pump into the controlling-cylinder to ship the belt onto the loose pulley. This form of controlling device possesses the advantage that there is no loss of gas effected through the controlling means, since the controlling-cylinder is actuated by uncharged liquid.

In the accompanying drawing, the figure is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, illustrating the construction of controlling device.

The mixing-chamber 1 is carried on the beam 2, pivoted to a standard 3, and counterbalanced by the Weight 4. Liquid is drawn off through suitable draw-off pipes. The mixing-chamber is usually provided with a pressure-gage 5.

6 is the pump operated from the shaft 7, having the fast pulley 8 and the loose pulley 9. The belt 10 normally is on the fast pulley 8 to turn the shaft 7, driving the pump 6.

11 is a liquid-supply box, which when water is used receives its supply from the watermain, the level therein being maintained practically constant by an ordinary floatvalve. The flexible discharge-pipe 12 from the pump connects with a flexible pipe 13, leading into the top of the mixing-chamber.

15 is a source of high-pressure gas-supply, a liquid-gas tube being shown, the outlet 16 of which leads into the mixing chamber through its lower end, as shown, whereby the gas is injected beneath the level of the liquid therein. The exit-pipe 16 is provided with a reducing-valve 17, capable of being set at any desired point.

18 is a controlling-cylinder the piston 19 of which connects with an overbalanced bellcrank 20, connected with a shipper-rod 21 for shipping the belt 10 from the fast to the loose pulley, and vice versa.

The regulating-valve 27 is located in the pipe 12 between the pump and the mixingchamber, a flexible pipe 28 connecting the cylinder 18 with the pipe 12 between the regulating-valve 27 and the pump. The stem of the regulating-valve 27 is provided with an arm 25, which connects by a link 26 with a stationary part of the frame, so that as the mixing-chamber 1 descends the regulatingvalve 27 will be partially rotated. A reliefvalve 29, carried with the mixing-chamber, is

employed in the line of the pipe 28, and leading above said relief-valve is a pipe 30, connected with the interior of the mixing-chamber, the upper surface of the valve being slightly larger than its working face, so that it will be normally slightly overbalanced, not* withstanding the changes in pressure in the mixing-chamber. The valve 27 normally connects the exhaust 24 with the pipe 28,as shown. It will be observed that normally the pump 6 forces liquid directly into the mixing-chamber, the relief-valve 29 being closed. When, however, the mixing-chamber becomes overbalanced, the regulatingvalve 27 will be moved, cutting off the supply of liquid to the mixing-chamber and cutting off also the exhaust 2 1 to the cylinder 18. The continued operation of the pump immediately raises the pressure in the pipe 12, elevating the reliefvalve 29, and the liquid will be thus conveyed through the pipe 28 to the cylinder 18 to ship the belt from the fast to the loose pulley and,

thereby stop the pump. WVhen the excess liquid is withdrawn from the mixing-chamber to restore the balance thereof, it will rise, returning the regulating-valve 27 to its former position, relieving pressure on the under side of the relief-valve 29, allowing the latter to close, and permitting the escape of the liquid from the cylinder 18 through the exhaust 24.

Having now described our invention, What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a carbonator, the combination of a balanced chamber for containing carbonated liquid, a pump for supplying liquid to said chamber, a controlling-cylinder for starting and stopping the pump, a regulating-valve between the pump and said chamber, said valve also normally providing an exhaust from said cylinder, means for operating said IIC valve by vertical movements of the chamber, a passage connecting "the pump with said cylinder, and a relief-valve in said passage, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a carbonator, the combination of. a balanced chamber for containing carbonated liquid, a pump for supplying liquid to said chamber, a controlling-cylinder for starting and stopping the pump, a regulating-valve between the pump and said chamber, said valve also normally providing an exhaust from said cylinder, means for operating said valve by vertical movements of the chamber, a passage connecting the pump with said cylinder, and an overbalanced relief-valve in said passage, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a carbonator, the combination of a balanced chamber for containing carbonated liquid, a pump for supplying liquid to said chamber, a controlling-cy1inder for starting and stopping the pump, a regulating-valve between the pump and said chamber, said valve also normally providing an exhaust from said cylinder, means for operating said Witnesses to the signature of Gustav A. Flesche:

JOHN J. GLYNN, H. M. KING.

Witnesses to the signature of Henry A; Hall:

EDWARD J. SHAUNESSY, JOHN J. GLYNN.

Witnesses to the signature of John Doh erty:

H. M. KING, EDWARD J. SHAUNESSY. 

